Lohse finally finds home in Milwaukee

PHOENIX (AP) — Kyle Lohse waited all winter and finally found a home with Milwaukee.

Lohse and the Brewers completed a three-year contract worth $33 million yesterday, a big boost to their suspect rotation exactly a week before the season opener at home against Colorado.

"I'm really happy to be able to come over," Lohse said during a news conference at Milwaukee's spring training facility. "With this offense and the ability of their pitching staff, it looks like a good fit. I know everybody in the division."

Lohse enjoyed his best season in the majors last year, going 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA and helping the St. Louis Cardinals earn a National League wild-card spot.

When he hit the free-agent market, however, it took nearly the entire offseason for the 34-year-old right-hander to find a new team. He turned down a $13.3 million qualifying offer from the Cardinals in November, so under baseball's new labor agreement most major league clubs had to be willing to forfeit a first-round draft pick if they wanted to sign him.

Apparently, that made potential suitors pretty hesitant.

But the Brewers were in need of a reliable starter and General Manager Doug Melvin said the move "makes us a better club than we were yesterday."

Lohse joins All-Star right-hander Yovani Gallardo at the top of the rotation, but the rest of the group is mostly unproven: Marco Estrada, Mike Fiers, Chris Narveson and Wily Peralta.

"Kyle is coming off two very good years, and his experience and competitiveness will be welcomed by the club," Melvin said.

Milwaukee gave up the 17th overall pick in this year's amateur draft to land Lohse, who made 33 starts last year for the Cardinals — one of Milwaukee's division rivals in the NL Central. He finished seventh in Cy Young Award voting and was first in the league in winning percentage (.842).